The new 50-cover restaurant, which opens today (15 July), occupies the neo-classical former bank building that dates back to 1909 following an extensive 12-month transformation.
The design retains many of the bank’s original features, which have been restored, including the coffered ceilings, solid oak parquet floors, original window detailing, and the vaulted safe door, which has been repurposed as the door to the ladies’ toilets.
More modern touches include booth seating, oak and steel interior wall cladding, and a halo-lit bar.
Its menu stays true to the restaurant’s founding principle of serving simple food, done well with the addition of two signature burgers, flat iron steaks, fresh salads, and a selection of sides.
Menu items include a range of beef and chicken burgers as well as salads topped with either steak, halloumi or chicken and a range of sides.
The drinks offer includes local beers from Saltaire Brewery as well as house-made lemonades.
The original Rumpus restaurant was launched by the Garside family in Slaithwaite in 2017 in a converted public toilet block. A second site, in Saltaire, opened in 2021 in the former Paul Binns butchers’ premises on Bingley Road.
The restaurants champion the family’s regenerative farming background, with beef is supplied from its own farm in Slaithwaite, which uses a grass-based, rotational grazing system that supports biodiversity while supporting healthy soils and pasture regeneration.
“This is an exciting next step for us,” says group manager Harry Garside.
“We’ve always admired this building as being part of the fabric of Slaithwaite. It feels right to bring it back to life in a way that respects its past while supporting the restaurant’s future. We’re looking forward to welcoming customers and staff into a space that’s both striking and built for purpose.
“The move means better efficiency, storage and space to grow. The hospitality industry moves at pace, so adapting and evolving is essential.
“This new chapter allows us to do just that. It’s also a way to be part of Slaithwaite’s evolving story and contribute to its growth while preserving what makes it special.”